text:
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Comments on Proposed Rule:
Rating Agencies and the Use of Credit Ratings under the Federal Securities Laws
[Release No. 33-8236; 34-47972; IC-26066; File No. S7-12-03]
Oscar M. Jasaui, President, Pacific Credit Rating, December 2, 2003
(File name: mbsturmfelz120503.pdf)
Dr. Patrick James Caragata, Managing Director and CEO, Rapid Ratings PTY Limited, Brisbane, Australia, November 3, 2003
(File name: rapid110603.htm)
Memorandum from Mandy Sturmfelz regarding a September 11, 2003 meeting with Moody's Corporation and Moody's Investors Service Inc. dated October 20, 2003
(File name: moodys102003.htm)
Memorandum from Mandy Sturmfelz regarding a June 10, 2003 meeting with Fidelity Investments dated October 20, 2003
(File name: fidelity061003.htm)
Memorandum from Mandy Sturmfelz regarding a July 8, 2003 meeting with Fidelity Investments dated October 20, 2003
(File name: fidelity070803.htm)
Kevin Winter, Senior Principal Investment Officer, California Public Employees Retirement System, September 15, 2003
(File name: calpers091503.htm)
Georgia K. Fountoulakis, September 15, 2003
(File name: gkfountoulakis091503.txt)
Walter Schroeder, President, Dominion Bond Rating Service Limited, August 5, 2003
(File name: dominion080503.htm)
Richard Raeburn, Chief Executive; John Grout, Technical Director, The Association of Corporate Treasurers, United Kingdom, August 8, 2003
(File name: actuk080803.htm)
Jeffrey P. Neubert, President and CEO, The New York Clearing House Association L.L.C., July 31, 2003
(File name: clearing073103.htm)
David Colling, Product Director, ABS Reports (UK) Limited, July 31, 2003
(File name: absreports073103.txt)
Barbara Roper, Director of Investor Protection, Consumer Federation of America, July 28, 2003
(File name: broper072803.pdf)
Denise Voigt Crawford, Securities Commissioner, Texas State Securities Board, July 28, 2003
(File name: dcrawford072803.pdf)
Jonathan C. Conley, Federated Investment Management Company, July 28, 2003
(File name: federated072803.pdf)
Malcolm S. Macdonald, Vice President-Finance and Treasurer, Ford Motor Company, July 28, 2003
(File name: ford072803.pdf)
Raymond W. McDaniel, Moody's Investors Service, July 28, 2003
(File name: moodys072803.htm)
Sean J. Egan, Managing Director, Egan-Jones Ratings Co., July 28, 2003
(File name: eganjones072803.htm)
Yasuhiro Harada, Executive Vice President, Rating and Investment Information, Inc., July 28, 2003
(File name: riii072803.htm)
Gregory V. Serio, Superintendent, New York Insurance Department, Chair, NAIC Rating Agency Working Group, National Association of Insurance Commissioners, July 28, 2003
(File name: naic072803.htm)
Leo C. O'Neill, President, Standard & Poor's, July 28, 2003
(File name: standard072803.htm)
John M. Ramsay, Senior Vice President and Regulatory Counsel, The Bond Market Association, July 28, 2003
(File name: bondmarket072803.htm)
Charles D. Brown, General Counsel, Fitch Ratings, July 28, 2003
(File name: cbrown072803.htm)
James I. Kaplan, Associate General Counsel, Northern Trust Corporation, July 28, 2003
(File name: jkaplan072803.htm)
Cate Long, Multiple Markets, July 28, 2003
(File name: clong072803.htm)
Cheryl Kallem, Chair, SIA Capital Committe, July 28, 2003
(File name: ckallem072803.htm)
Peter K. Ingerman, Chadbourne & Parke LLP, July 28, 2003
(File name: pingerman072803.htm)
William M. Wells, Chief Financial Officer, Bunge Limited, July 28, 2003
(File name: wwells072803.htm)
Frank Partnoy, University of San Diego School of Law, San Diego, CA, July 28, 2003
(File name: jpartnoy072803.htm)
Mark Roemer, Finance Strategies, Siemens AG, July 28, 2003
(File name: mroemer072803.htm)
Amy B.R. Lancellotta, Senior Counsel, Investment Company Institute, July 28, 2003
(File name: alancellotta072803.htm)
Pierre Bollon, Chief Executive, Association Française de la Gestion Financičre, July 28, 2003
(File name: pbollon072803.htm)
James A. Kaitz, President and CEO, Association for Financial Professionals, July 28, 2003
(File name: jkaitz072803.htm)
Daisuke Kotegawa, Deputy Director-General, Minister's Secretariat, Ministry of Finance, Japan, July 28, 2003
(File name: dkotegawa072803.htm)
Olivier Raingeard, July 27, 2003
(File name: oraingeard072703.htm)
Andrew Fight, July 25, 2003
(File name: aflight072503.htm)
Steven C. Nelson, Director of Taxable Money Market Research, Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc., July 25, 2003
(File name: snelson072503.htm)
Grace Hinchman, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Financial Executives International, July 25, 2003
(File name: fei072503.htm)
Lawrence J. White, Professor of Economics, Stern School of Business, New York University, New York, N.Y., July 25, 2003
(File name: lwhite072503.txt)
LACE Financial Corp, July 25, 2003
(File name: lace072503.htm)
Naohiko Matsuo, Director for International Financial Markets, Financial Services Agency Goverment of Japan, July 25, 2003
(File name: fsa072503.htm)
Charles M. Nathan, Chair-Committee on Securities Regulation and Nicolas Grabar Committee on Securities Regulation of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, July 24, 2003
(File name: abcny072403.htm)
Sandeep Gopalan, July 22, 2003
(File name: sgopalan072203.txt)
Joseph E. Cantwell, President, Cantwell & Company, July 22, 2003
(File name: cantwell072203.htm)
Terry W. Lilly, President, Data Conversion Specialists Inc., July 21, 2003
(File name: dcs072103.pdf)
Takashi Kanasaki, Managing Director, Japan Credit Rating Agency, Ltd., July 14, 2003
(File name: jcr071403.htm)
Joseph Weber, Assistant Professor of Accounting, Sloan School of Management Massachusetts Institute of Technology, June 25, 2003
(File name: jweber062503.htm)
A. J. Wilson, June 7, 2003
(File name: ajwilson060703.txt)
Martin Goldberg, June 7, 2003
(File name: mgoldberg060703.txt)
Privacy Policy
Modified: 06/18/2004


text:
You'd be a big, hairy liar if you said you hadn't at some point imagined who would play you in a movie about your life.
Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher is no exception. If a movie about Oasis were ever made Noel would like none other than Mr Bond himself, Daniel Craig, to portray him.
This doesn't wash with Daniel however, who reckons he's much better at the guitar than Noel and therefore would not be able to do a convincing job.
Craig told The Sun: "I can play the guitar better than Noel can so I don't know how that is really going to work."
We await Mr Gallagher's response with gleeful anticipation.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A new-generation Zabbix agent has been developed called Zabbix agent 2. Some of the goals set when developing the new agent 2 were to:
Agent 2 is written in Go (with some C code of Zabbix agent reused). A configured Go version 1.12+ environment is required for building Zabbix agent 2.
Zabbix agent 2 is available in pre-compiled Zabbix packages. To compile Zabbix agent 2 from sources you have to specify the --enable-agent2
configure option.
Agent 2 is currently supported for the Linux platform only; with support for a Windows agent on its way. Currently Agent 2 is in experimental status, with a production-ready status expected in the next major release.
See also: Zabbix agent 2
In the new version you may write your own JavaScript code to extend Zabbix alerting capabilities. While in previous versions that could only be done by some external scripts, now all the alerting logic can be kept inside Zabbix, more specifically, using the new Webhook media type.
A webhook may be used for easy integration of Zabbix alerting with a third-party helpdesk system, chat, messenger, etc. Moreover, it is possible to return some data about created tickets that's then displayed in Zabbix.
Support for TimescaleDB, first added on experimental basis in Zabbix 4.2, is now official. See also: Migration to TimescaleDB
Along with data display in graphs as bars, the new version also introduces the possibility of creating data aggregations in a graph.
So you can select the desired period (5 minutes, an hour, a day) and then display an aggregated value for this period, instead of all values. The aggregation options are as follows:
The most exciting use of data aggregation is the possibility to create nice side-by-side comparisons of data for some period:
Aggregation can be configured in the data set settings when configuring a graph widget.
You may pick the aggregation function and the time interval. Since a data set may comprise several items, there is also another option allowing to show aggregated data for each item separately or for all data set items as one aggregated value:
See also: Aggregation in graphs
The maximum number of allowed dependent items for one master item has been raised from 999 to 29999.
Kerberos authentication is now supported in:
It is now possible to configure ways of displaying operational data for current problems, i.e. the latest item values as opposed to the item values at the time of the problem.
Operational data display can be configured in the filter of Monitoring → Problems or in the configuration of the respective dashboard widget, by selecting one of the three options:
The content of operational data can be configured with each trigger that now has a new Operational data field. This field accepts an arbitrary string with macros, most importantly, the {ITEM.LASTVALUE<1-9>} macro.
Operational data can also be included in notifications using the new {EVENT.OPDATA} macro.
A new database monitor item has been added:
Compared to the db.odbc.select[]
item that has already been available in previous versions, the new item is capable of returning values from multiple rows and columns, formatted as JSON.
Thus it may be used as a master item gathering all required metrics in one system call. JSONPath preprocessing can be used in dependent items to extract individual values from this master item.
The new item may also be used for low-level discovery using ODBC SQL queries.
Compared to the db.odbc.discovery[]
item from previous versions, this item does not define low-level discovery macros in the returned JSON, however, these macros can be defined by the user as required, using the custom LLD macro functionality with JSONPath to point to the required values in the returned JSON.
Low-level discovery of block devices and their type is supported using a new built-in discovery key:
The discovery will return a JSON with the values of two macros - {#DEVNAME} and {#DEVTYPE}, identifying the block device name and type respectively.
These macros can be used to create item prototypes using the vfs.dev.read[]
and vfs.dev.write[]
agent items, i.e. vfs.dev.read[{#DEVNAME},sps]
. See also: Discovery of block devices.
Low-level discovery of systemd units (services, by default) is supported using a new built-in discovery key:
This item key is only supported in Zabbix agent 2.
The discovery will return a JSON with the values of several macros, identifying various systemd unit properties. These macros can be used to create item prototypes using the new systemd.unit.info[]
item key, for example systemd.unit.info["{#UNIT.NAME}",LoadState]
See also:
There is now a new item for JMX MBean discovery that does not generate low-level discovery macros and therefore can return values without the limitations associated with LLD macro name generation (for example, hyphens, square brackets and non-ASCII characters):
The jmx.discovery[]
item from previous versions, if it encountered JMX MBean properties that could not be converted into a macro name (because of characters not supported in LLD macro name generation), had to ignore these properties.
The new jmx.get[]
item does not generate LLD macro names in the returned JSON. Instead, LLD macro names may be defined in the custom macro tab of a discovery rule, using JSONPath for pointing to the required values.
See also: Discovery of JMX objects
A new Windows agent item has been added:
Compared to the wmi.get[]
item that has already been available in previous versions, the new item is capable of returning the entire response of the query, formatted as JSON. JSONPath preprocessing can be used to point to more specific values in the returned JSON.
The new item may be used for low-level discovery using WMI queries.
Even though this item does not define low-level discovery macros in the returned JSON, the macros can be defined by the user as required, using the custom LLD macro functionality with JSONPath to point to the required values in the returned JSON.
Previously all communications during agent autoregistration were performed unencrypted. In the new version a secure way of autoregistration is possible by configuring PSK-based authentication with encrypted connections.
The level of encryption is configured globally in Administration → General, in the new Autoregistration section accessible through the dropdown to the right. It is possible to select no encryption, TLS encryption with PSK authentication or both (so that some hosts may register without encryption while others through encryption):
Authentication by PSK is verified by Zabbix server before adding a host. If successful, the host is added and Connections from/to host are set to 'PSK' only with identity/pre-shared key the same as in the global autoregistration setting.
It is now possible to specify that the host should be autoregistered with the DNS name as the default agent interface. To do that, the DNS name should be specified/returned as the value of either 'HostInterface' or 'HostInterfaceItem' configuration parameters. Note that if the value of one of the two parameters changes, the autoregistered host interface is updated. So it is possible to update the default interface to another DNS name or an IP address. For the changes to take effect though, the agent has to be restarted. 'HostInterface' or 'HostInterfaceItem' configuration parameters are supported since Zabbix 4.4.
Maximum allowed length of a host name has been lifted from 64 characters to 128 characters in host discovery and active agent auto-registration.
It is now possible to convert CSV file data into JSON format.
See also: CSV to JSON preprocessing
Custom error handling is now also available for the following preprocessing steps:
The Custom on fail checkbox is available in these preprocessing steps for regular items and item prototypes. For low-level discovery rules the Custom on fail checkbox is made available for 'Check for error in JSON' and 'Check for error in XML' preprocessing steps.
In a typical use case of custom error handling, data can be skipped if an error message is found.
More preprocessing options have been added to low-level discovery rules:
Host names are now included in the real-time export of events, item values and trends (previously only the visible host name was exported). Note that the export protocol has changed with host name information now an object, rather than a string/array.
Value types are now included in the real-time export of item values and trends. See the export protocol for more details.
New official templates are available for monitoring:
The new Linux monitoring templates come in three flavours:
You can get these templates:
Item and trigger descriptions allow to share knowledge in Zabbix across various users. These descriptions may explain what an item does or what the nature of the problem is. Now it is easier to notice and view this information in latest data and problem screens.
Item description now can be viewed in the Latest data section.
An icon with a question mark is displayed next to the item name for all items that have a description. If you position the mouse cursor on this icon, the item description is displayed as a tooltip.
An icon with a question mark is displayed next to the problem name for all problems that have a description. If you position the mouse cursor on this icon, the description of the underlying trigger is displayed as a tooltip.
Problem description is also available in event details.
Jabber and Ez Texting media types for delivering notifications have been removed.
If these media types are present in your existing installation, during the upgrade they will be replaced by a script media type with all relevant parameters preserved. However, notifications via Jabber and Ez Texting will not work any more.
For easier sharing of media types, including the new webhooks, media types can now be exported and imported.
The export files support the new human-readable format (see below) implemented for host/template export.
Previous implementation of XML/JSON import required the presence of all attributes, even if they were empty or irrelevant. That made the export files extremely long and hardly readable.
In the new version much smaller and simpler export files are produced:
|<| |<| |-| |<|
See also:
Previously all triggers in host/template export were listed after the host information. Now, to achieve better readability, triggers that are based on one host item only in problem and recovery expression are listed within the tags of the respective host item.
Additionally the expression tag of these triggers does not reference the host or item, but only the function ({last()}<>0
in the example):
<name>Item value not 0</name>
The same change affects simple trigger prototypes that are placed under <item_prototype><trigger_prototypes>.
However, triggers that are more complex and contain several host items are listed within separate <triggers> tags, as before.
The default dashboard shipped with new installations (Global view) has been improved:
Graph values in the graph widget can now be displayed as bars.
To display values as bars, when configuring the data set of the graph, select Bar as the draw option:
Previously multiple item selection in the new graph widget (introduced in Zabbix 4.0) worked by separating the items with a comma. That created a limitation for selecting items already having a comma, a legitimate symbol, in the name.
To lift this limitation, in the new version, both host and item selection is implemented as multi-select fields where a comma is no longer needed as a separator. The functionality to specify host/item names with a wildcard is also retained. To specify a name with wildcard, just enter the string manually and press Enter. While you are typing, note how all matching entities are displayed in the dropdown.
The horizontal limit of allowed dashboard widgets has been raised from 12 to 24 columns.
Dashboard widget editing can now be accessed with one mouse click.
Once the editing button is clicked, the widget editing form is opened and the whole dashboard goes into editing mode.
To use dashboard space more efficiently, a possibility to hide widget headers has been added, allowing to show more content in the widgets. This setting can be configured individually for each widget in their configuration (the Show headers checkbox). If the headers are set to be hidden, they'll still appear on widget focusing by mouse or keyboard.
The Problems by severity widget has been extended with the option to show problem totals for multiple selected host groups and hosts:
The totals can be displayed in horizontally or vertically stacked blocks:
A new host availability widget has been added to available dashboard widgets. This widget is similar as the Host info screen element and displays high-level statistics of host availability based on the selected host groups.
The availability statistics can be displayed in horizontally or vertically stacked blocks:
In this widget it is also possible to separately display host availability statistics for any number of host interface types (Zabbix agent, SNMP, JMX, IPMI).
A new graph prototype widget has been added to the dashboard. In it you can display a grid of one or more graphs created from a single graph prototype by low-level discovery.
"Cannot support notification audio for this device." message will be displayed when notification sounds on the device cannot be played.
For better readability, text area fonts have been changed to monospace in the following locations:
Input fields that potentially may hold long names or values have been increased to 300 pixels and are also increasing dynamically to a new line when typing:
This change has been implemented in:
Proxy information has been split into a separate column in several places in the frontend:
So, for example, if previously host names of the hosts monitored by a proxy were prefixed with the proxy name, now the proxy name is listed in a separate column.
The items
table was previously used by both frontend and the server, resulting in undesirable locking of rows at times when, for example, the server would update fields related to 'log' items. To resolve this situation, realtime fields (lastlogsize, state, mtime, error) have been split into a separate table called item_rtdata


text:
Submitted by Russell Lamberti of the Ludwig von Mises Institute,
US lawmakers reached a budget deal this week that will avert the sequester cuts and shutdowns. These fiscal "roadblocks" supposedly damaged investor confidence in 2013, although clearly no one told equity investors who've chased the S&P 500 up 26 percent this year. But even so the budget deal is seen by inflationists as only half the battle won, because it doesn't deal with the pesky debt ceiling. Unsurprisingly, the old calls for a scrapping of the debt ceiling are being heard afresh.
Last week, The Week ran an opinion piece by John Aziz which argues that America (and all other nations for that matter) should keep borrowing until investors no longer want to lend to it. To this end, it is argued, the US should scrap its debt ceiling because the only debt ceiling it needs is the one imposed by the market. When the market doesn't want to lend to you anymore, bond yields will rise to such an extent that you can no longer afford to borrow any more money. You will reach your natural, market-determined debt ceiling. According to this line of reasoning, American bond yields are incredibly low, meaning there is no shortage of people willing to lend to Uncle Sam. So Washington should take advantage of these fantastically easy loans and leverage up.
Here's part of the key paragraph from Aziz:
Right now interest rates are very low by historical standards, even after adjusting for inflation. This means that the government is not producing sufficient debt to satisfy the market demand. The main reason for that is the debt ceiling.
What this fails to appreciate is that interest rates are a heavily controlled price in all of today's major economies. This is particularly true in the case of America, where the Federal Reserve controls short-term interest rates using open market operations (i.e., loaning newly printed money to banks) and manipulates long-term interest rates using quantitative easing. By injecting vast amounts of liquidity into the economy, the Fed makes it appear as though there is more savings than there really is. But US bond yields are currently no more a reflection of the market's demand for US debt than a price ceiling on gasoline is a reflection of its booming supply. Contra the view expressed in The Week, low rates brought about by contrived zero-bound policy rates and trillions of dollars in QE can mislead the federal government into borrowing more while at the same time pushing savers and investors out of US bond markets and into riskier assets like corporate bonds, equities, exotic derivatives, emerging markets, and so on.
Greece once thought that the market was giving it the green light to "produce" more debt. Low borrowing rates for Greece were not a sign of fiscal health, however, but really just layer upon layer of false and contrived signals arising from easy ECB money, allowing Greece to hide behind Germany's credit status. As it turned out, a legislative debt ceiling in Greece (one that was actually adhered to) would have been a far better idea than pretending this manipulated market was a fair reflection of reality. Investors were happy to absorb Greece's debt until suddenly they weren't.
This is the nature of sovereign debt accumulation driven by easy money and credit bubbles. It's all going swimmingly until it's not. And there is little reason to think this time the US is different. Except that America might be worse. The very fact of the Fed buying Treasuries with newly printed money proves Washington is producing too much debt. China even stated recently that it saw no more utility accumulating any more dollar debt assets. If the whole point of QE is to monetize impaired assets, then the Fed likely sees Treasury bonds as facing considerable impairment risk. Theory and history are clear about the reasons for and consequences of large-scale and persistent debt monetization.
Finally, it is wrong to assert that the debt ceiling is the main reason for America's fiscal deficit reduction. The ceiling has never provided a meaningful barrier to America's borrowing ambitions, hence the dozens of upward adjustments to the ceiling whenever it threatens to crimp the whims of Washington's profligate classes. America's rate of new borrowing is falling because all the money it has printed washed into the economic system and found its way back into tax revenues. Corporate profits are soaring to all-time highs on dirt cheap trade financing. Corporate high-grade debt issuance has set a new record in 2013. Companies are rolling their short-term debts, now super-cheap thanks to Bernanke's money machine, and issuing long, into a bubbly IPO and corporate bond market. The last time corporate profits surged like they're doing now was during the credit and housing bubble that preceded the unraveling and inevitable bust in 2008/09.
These are money and credit cycle effects. The debt ceiling has had precious little to do with it. Moreover, US debt is neither crimped nor the US Treasury Department austere. Instead, the national debt is soaring, $60,000 higher for every US family since Obama took office and rising. Add to this the fact that the US Treasury's bond issuance schedule is actually set to rise in 2014 due to huge amounts of maturing debt needing to be rolled over next year, and the fiscal significance of the debt ceiling fades even further.
The singular brilliance of the debt ceiling however, is that it keeps reminding everyone that there is a growing national debt that never seems to shrink. That is a tremendous service to American citizens who live in the dark regarding the borrowing machinations of their political overlords. Yes, politicians keep raising the debt ceiling, but nowadays they have to bend themselves into ever twisty pretzels trying to explain why to their justifiably skeptical and cynical constituents. Most people don't understand bond yields, quantitative easing, and Keynesian pump-a-thons too well, but they sure understand a debt ceiling.
Those who adhere to the don't-stop-til-you-get-enough theory of sovereign borrowing, and by extension argue for a scrapping of the debt ceiling, couldn't be more misguided. In free markets with no Fed money market distortion, interest rates can be a useful guide of the amount of real savings being made available to borrowers. When borrowers want to borrow more, real interest rates will rise, and at some point this crimps the marginal demand for borrowing, acting as a natural "debt ceiling." But when markets are heavily distorted by central bank money printing and contrived zero-bound rates, interest rates utterly cease to serve this purpose for prolonged periods of time. What takes over is the false signals of the unsustainable business cycle which fools people into thinking there is more savings than there really is. Greece provides a recent real-world case study of this very phenomenon in action. In these cases we are likely to see low rates sustained during the increase in government borrowing, only for them to quickly reset higher and plunge a country into a debt trap which may force default or extreme money printing.
Debt monetization has a proven track record of ending badly. It is after all the implicit admission that no one but your monopoly money printer is willing to lend to you at the margin. The realization that this is unsustainable can take a while to sink in, but when it does, all it takes is an inevitable fat-tail event or crescendo of panic to topple the house of cards. If the market realizes it's been duped into having too much before the government decides it's had enough, a debt crisis won't be far away.
via Zero Hedge http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/zerohedge/feed/~3/rV6TPs2KS2Q/story01.htm Tyler Durden


text:
By Matthew Knott and Gareth Hutchens
The federal government is expected to ditch one of its most controversial budget measures - the plan to apply real interest rate to student debts - following advice from the architect of the HECS repayment scheme that it is unfair to poor graduates.
Detailed modelling by leading education economist Bruce Chapman has found poor graduates could pay 30 per cent more for a degree than their high-income counterparts if the government indexes student debts at the government bond rate rather than inflation.
Women who take time off work to have children would be among the hardest hit.
Professor Chapman's paper, which has been presented to Education Minister Christopher Pyne, presents two alternative interest rate proposals that would reduce inequity concerns but have only a small impact on the budget.
''Professor Bruce Chapman is a well-respected academic and analyst, and the government warmly welcomes his input in the higher education debate,'' a spokesman for Mr Pyne said.
Mr Pyne has previously told Fairfax Media he is willing to compromise on interest rate changes to pass his higher education package through a hostile Senate.
University vice-chancellors, who are confident the government will modify its interest rate plan, have come out strongly behind Professor Chapman's proposals.
Professor Chapman's modelling found low-income graduates (those in the bottom 30 per cent of earners) would amass total repayments of $105,000 from a starting debt of $60,000 under the government's plan.
By contrast, high-income graduates (those in the top 25 per cent of earners) would pay only $75,000 in total repayments on the same debt - $30,000 less than low-income earners.
Graduates on a median salary would pay around $82,000 in repayments on the same starting debt.
Low-income graduates would be hardest hit by compounding interest on their debts because they spend more time out of the workforce and have lower salaries.
''Using the long-term bond rate will be regressive and it is very hard to argue this is fair," Professor Chapman said. "HECS was designed to protect people who go to university but, because of bad luck or bad circumstances don't get to enjoy the benefits.
"HECS should act as an insurance mechanism and that aspect of the scheme is being undermined."
In the paper he and colleague Timothy Higgins propose two alternatives:
■ Only charging the higher interest rate when graduates reach the repayment threshold (approximately $50,000).
■ Or a one-off 25 per cent surcharge on a graduate's loan, with debts then pegged to inflation.
Under the first option, low-income earners would pay 6 per cent more in repayments than high-income earners - down from 30 per cent. The surcharge approach would wipe out the inequity altogether.
Universities Australia chief executive Belinda Robinson said: "There is agreement within the sector that the impact of applying a real interest rate to student loans needs to be modified to ensure continued affordability of a quality university education.
"The options in Professor Chapman's paper represent a fairer approach to student loans and are less likely to deter students from accessing a world-class university education."
University of NSW vice-chancellor Fred Hilmer said: "Both of these options would be better than the government's proposed interest rate changes."
Regional Universities Network Chair Peter Lee said: "Bruce Chapman is right: we need a different model to ameliorate the harshness of the government's proposal."
Australian Catholic University vice-chancellor Greg Craven said the government's plan would disproportionately affect nursing and teaching graduates. "I am confident the government is looking pretty carefully at alternatives …''
The government wants to deregulate university fees, cut student funding by 20 per cent and extend Commonwealth support to students at private colleges and sub-diploma courses.


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text:
RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1880. The Omori shell mounds. Nature. A Weekly Illustrated Journal of Science 21 (15 April): 561.
REVISION HISTORY: Scanned, text prepared and edited by John van Wyhe 2003-8. RN4
NOTE: See record in the Freeman Bibliographical Database, enter its Identifier here.
The Omori Shell Mounds
I HAVE received the enclosed letter from Prof. Morse,1 with a request that I should forward it to you. I hope that it may be published, for the article in NATURE2 to which it refers seemed to me to do very scant justice to Prof. Morse's work.3 I refer more especially to the evidence adduced by him on cannibalism by the ancient inhabitants of Japan—on their platycnemic tibiæ4—on their degree of skill in ceramic art—and beyond all other points, on the changes in the molluscan fauna of the islands since the period in question.
It is a remarkable fact, which incidentally appears in Prof. Morse's memoir, that several Japanese gentlemen have already formed large collections of the shells of the Archipelago, and have zealously aided him in the investigation of the prehistoric mounds. This is a most encouraging omen of the future progress of science in Japan.5
Down, Beckenham, Kent, April 9
IN NATURE, vol. xxi. p. 350, is a review of my memoir on "The Omori Shell Mounds" by Fredk. V. Dickins. I do not now heed the spirit in which it is written, nor would I deem it worthy of notice did it not occur in the pages of your widely-read magazine. One expects in a reviewer some knowledge of the subject he reviews. Mr. Dickins, by a series of mistakes, betrays his ignorance of the whole matter. The extraordinary blunder he makes regarding the Ainos has already been promptly corrected by a Japanese gentleman residing in London. It is charitable to assume that Mr. Dickins has not lived in Japan, otherwise he would not, in common with so many of his countrymen, commit the wilful blunder of calling the principal city of the empire by its wrong name. On the other hand, it is impossible he could have seen the Omori deposits, otherwise he would not make another blunder by expressing his belief that they have been completely swept away, when in truth but a small portion, of them have been removed. He says: "These mounds consist for the most part of shells, little, if at all, distinguishable from what are still found in abundance along the shores of the Gulf of Yedo." Had he taken the trouble to read the memoir he attempted to review he would have seen that all the species occurring in the mounds vary in size, proportion of part, and relative abundance of individuals from similar species living along the shores to-day. That some species extremely abundant in the mounds are scarcely met within the vicinity, while one species has never been found within 400 miles Omori; indeed, it belongs to a different zoological province!
His complaint at the large number of plates given to the illustration of pottery, tablets, &c., shows how incapable he is of appreciating that part of the work which has received the highest commendation from archæologists, namely, the presenting as far as possible an exhaustive illustration of every from of vessel and variety of ornamentation. He laments the absence of a plate giving figures of the bones and shells, especially of the latter, which are stated to belong to extinct species. Had he looked at the last plate (a copper plate, by the way, and not a lithographic one, as he calls it) he would have seen every species, with one exception figured, when similar forms from the neighbouring shores could be got for comparison.
I did not feel justified in comparing shell-mound forms with similar forms from Niigata, Kobe, or Nagasaki; and the reason will be obvious to any one having the slightest familiarity with the variations that species show in widely separated localities.
As to figuring fragments of bones, I did all that my limited knowledge of mammalian osteology would permit in identifying the common mammals, and in giving a list of them as other writers have done in similar investigations. in which he may establish the recent nature of the deposits. I cheerfully proffer to him a large accumulation of fragments of bones in Tokio waiting to be put together!
His comparison of the Omori pottery with Banko will greatly amuse any one at all familiar with Banko, or its associate forms, Hansuki, Otagukuan, Miki, Bashodo, Tokonabe, or their imitators either ancient or modern.
His review being thus occupied with a series of misstatements, he naturally finds no room to discuss my evidences of cannibalism or platycnemic tibiæ.
Finally, his ungenerous complaint of my well-merited compliment to the Japanese printers and binders who made the pamphlet, illustrates a lamentable but too common trait of the ordinary Briton in Japan, namely that which mainfests itself in a childish delight at the failures of the Japanese and in sneers at their successes. EDWARD S. MORSE
Salem, Mass., U.S., March 25
MR. EVERETT appears surprised that he should have to make any correction in my brief account, in the above-named work, of Borneo and the Philippines, countries in which he has resided and travelled for many years. My surprise is that he has not been able to make far larger and more important corrections. Residents abroad soon acquire a mass of local information, and naturally think that what has been long familiar to themselves must be well known in England, forgetting that books on such subjects are written at long intervals, and when written rarely contain all the information up to date. I am exceedingly thankful for any additional facts or corrections for a new edition of the book, but I do not acknowledge to "errors" in the omission of facts which were not to be found in any books in English libraries at the time I wrote. I will make a few observations on the chief points in Mr. Everett's letter.
1. As to the accuracy of the maps I am not responsible, as Mr. Everett might well have supposed in a series of works issued in Mr. Stanford's name. The fact that Palawan and Mindanao are now as completely Spanish possessions as Luzon, is, I think, quite new to British readers.
2. I certainly omitted the mention of Tupaia among the Philippine mammals by an oversight. In giving a general sketch of the peculiarities of Philippine zoology I should, however, again omit Palawan from consideration, as that island is zoologically more nearly connected with Borneo. In the absence of all other information about Palawan, I took my account chiefly from Crawfurd's "Descriptive Dictionary." He mentions the frizzled hair of the natives, and deer among the wild animals; and as deer abound both in Borneo and the Philippines, their absence in Palawan requires proof rather than their presence.
3. The detailed range of the rhinoceros and wild cattle in Borneo has not yet, that I am aware, been given by any writer. My general statements, though imperfect, do not seem very far from the truth.
4. As to what Mr. Everett styles my "extraordinary statement" about the "Idaan" and "Milanow" tribes. I founded it on Mr. Spencer St. John's book. He says (vol. i. p. 396) of the Idaan—"They were a dark, sharp-featured race, intelligent-looking, and appeared in features very much like the Land Dyaks of Sarawak." While of the Milanows he says (i. p. 46) "some are clothed like Mahomedans, others like Dyaks, to which race they undoubtedly belong." As the Milanows live at the mouths of rivers, while the Idaan live inland, I cannot see the "extraordinary" character of the statement that they "correspond" to the division of Land and Sea Dyaks usually made in the Sarawak territory. This does not imply that there are no difference of language, customs, &c., but rather that there are such differences; but if there are radical physical differences they were evidently not known to Mr. St. John, whose long residence in Borneo and great opportunities for acquiring information entitle him to be considered an authority.
It will be seen that Mr. Everett's new matter is very scanty, and I should not have thought it worth while to do anything more than make use of it, were not his letter written in a somewhat critical spirit, which I think he would not have adopted had he known the great difficulty of obtaining accurate information on the innumerable subjects that have to be treated in a book of so wide a scope as "Australasia," and dealing with countries which have been as yet imperfectly described. Like some other critics, too, he forgets that general statements for popular information, which must be comprised within a few lines, cannot always be made strictly accurate without becoming vague, and thus ceasing to convey any definite ideas.
1 Edward Sylvester Morse (1838-1925), American invertebrate zoologist who worked for a time in Japan.
2 Written by Frederick Victor Dickins (1838-1915), physician and plant collector who collected plants in Japan. Dickins 1880.
3 Morse 1879.
4 Flattened shin-bones, believed to be a characteristic of early humans.
5 The Darwin-Morse letter to Nature instigated a series of further letters in Nature and The American naturalist. See Morse 1880.
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 28 November, 2022


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Turkey tips
For many, preparing a Thanksgiving turkey is one of the biggest cooking and food safety challenges of the year. When you're faced with a big, uncooked bird, questions will arise. Let's talk turkey and cook up a few answers.
How should I store it?
If you will be using your turkey within 2 or 3 days, store it in the fridge. Otherwise, keep it in the freezer. Don't leave it to sit at room temperature - this can allow harmful bacteria to grow.
How long will I need to thaw this bird?
Never thaw a frozen turkey on a countertop at room temperature. Instead, choose one of the safer options. You could keep it in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic or placed in a deep pan to hold drippings. Or you could pop it in the microwave, determining thawing time and temperature by either consulting the microwave's manual or following a by-the-kilo recipe. Another thaw alternative is to wrap the turkey in its original airtight wrapping and thaw it in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes so it stays cold enough.
How much time will it take to thoroughly cook it?
Figure for 30 minutes of cooking time per kilogram of turkey (15 minutes per pound). Set the oven temperature to 165°C (325°F) or higher. If using an oven cooking bag, carefully read the bag's instructions first. Poke a meat thermometer into a thigh or breast to see if the turkey's internal temperature has reached 85°C (165°F). By this temperature, the turkey should be thoroughly cooked. Check that meat is tender and no pink juices remain. If you're stuffing your turkey, expect that it will take about 15-30 minutes longer.
What sort of bacteria are on and in turkey that could possibly make me and my family sick?
Turkey and other poultry can carry bacteria that can cause food poisoning, including salmonella and campylobacter. When cooked properly, most bacteria will be killed off so turkey is safe to eat. Still, it is vital that food handlers follow safety guidelines to prevent cross-contaminating other foods being prepared. Avoid touching turkey juices and drippings. Wash hands thoroughly with soap before and after touching food. Do the same for any plates, utensils, towels, and cutting boards you use before switching them to another use. Plastic cutting boards are easier to sanitize than ones made of wood. If you can, reserve one cutting board for use with meats and poultry and another to use when preparing vegetables or other foods.
How healthy is turkey anyway?
Turkey is a lean, low-calorie source of protein. It also contains tryptophan, an amino acid known for its snooze-inducing powers. However, it's not really the bird that's the culprit of that post-dinner snooze, but usually the heavy carbohydrates in that holiday feast.
Pile leftover turkey onto whole-grain bread for post-Thanksgiving sandwiches or shred the meat to make a base for a turkey soup. But to make sure you make the most of the surplus bounty, refrigerate all leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Autumn-Health


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The Military is Leaving the Missing Behind
Tracing his genealogy online one night, John Eakin landed on a name that evoked an old family sorrow.
Arthur "Bud" Kelder, Eakin's cousin, had died while a POW during World War II, but his body had never been found. Bud's parents had sent handwritten letters to the Army for years, asking to have their youngest son's body returned to them in Illinois.
Bud Kelder, far left, before WWII. John Eakin saw this picture of his distant cousin on the wall of his great aunt's house when he was 15 and asked who he was. That was the first time he learned of Bud's story - and the only time he saw his grandpa cry. (Courtesy of John Eakin)
"It is our hope that his remains may be sent here, for burial at home," pleaded one.
Six decades later, Eakin, a stubborn Texan who was himself a vet, resolved to find out exactly why Bud had never come home.
In the fall of 2009, Eakin reached out to family members and found that Bud's older brother had kept a trove of historical documents laying out Bud's saga: the telegram announcing he was a POW, newspaper clippings, letters sent between Bud and his parents.
Before the Japanese invaded the Philippines, Bud had worked as a dental assistant at the American hospital in Manila, a plum assignment in a tropical getaway. In late 1941, the Army private wrote to his parents about saving his paycheck to buy a custom-made sharkskin suit. It "really is a peach," Bud wrote.
#MIA Takeaways
1 There are roughly 45,000 Americans "missing in action" from World War II, Korea and Vietnam who are considered recoverable.
2 Despite spending roughly $100 million annually, the Pentagon identifies on average 72 people each year. At the current rate, it would take them more than 600 years to finish the job.
3 Outdated methods contribute to the Pentagon's slow pace — unlike most other modern efforts around the world, the military doesn't use DNA as the first and primary means of identifying the remains.
After war broke out in December 1941, Bud was among 12,000 American troops who were besieged by the Japanese for four months on the Bataan peninsula, just south of Manila.
"What I dream is there will be no more separations between us again and we'll spend more time together," he wrote to his parents in cursive two months later. "P.S. Mother! Don't worry about me."
The Americans surrendered on April 9, 1942. The Japanese made Bud a driver during the infamous five-day, 65-mile Bataan Death March. He eventually ended up at Cabanatuan, one of the largest POW camps for American troops.
When Eakin tried to figure out what happened next, he ran into an unexpected roadblock.
The Pentagon spends about $100 million a year to find men like Bud, following the ethos of "leave no man behind." Yet it solves surprisingly few cases, hobbled by overlapping bureaucracy and a stubborn refusal to seize the full potential of modern forensic science. Last year, the military identified just 60 service members out of the about 83,000 Americans missing from World War II, Korea and Vietnam, around 45,000 of whom are considered recoverable.
At the center of the military's effort is a little-known agency, the Joint Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command, or J-PAC, and its longtime scientific director, Tom Holland. He alone assesses whether the evidence J-PAC has assembled is sufficient to identify a set of remains: A body goes home only if he signs off.
Over Holland's 19-year tenure, J-PAC has stuck with an outdated approach that relies primarily on historical and medical records even as others in the field have turned to DNA to quickly and reliably make identifications.
Though finding missing service members can be difficult — some were lost deep in Europe's forests, others in Southeast Asia's jungles — Holland's approach has stymied efforts to identify MIAs even when the military already knows where they are. More than 9,400 service members are buried as "unknowns" in American cemeteries around the world. Holland's lab has rejected roughly nine out of every 10 requests to exhume such graves.
Holland's cautious approach is animated by a fear of mistakes.
Millions of Dollars, Few ID's
This chart shows how many identifications are made each year by J-PAC, compared to the agency's budget. Including the other agencies involved in finding remains of missing service members, the Pentagon has spent nearly $500 million over the past five years.
2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | Total | |
ID's | 105 | 62 | 65 | 80 | 60 | 372 |
Budget (in millions) | $54 | $65 | $69.9 | $95.7 | $88.5 | $373.1million |
Source: Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office
"Our credibility is only as good as our last misidentification," he said in an interview. "It doesn't matter that I've identified 500 people correctly. If I misidentify one, that's what going to be the focus. That's what's going to be on the news. That is what is going to erode the credibility. That's what I go home with every night."
The top military official at J-PAC, Gen. Kelly McKeague, said he believed the standards for laboratory work to identify a veteran should be higher than the FBI lab's standard for a death penalty case. With what J-PAC does, he said, there's "a lot more at stake."
In recent years, J-PAC and the other agencies responsible for the MIA program have come underintensifying scrutiny. In 2010, when Congress added World War II to J-PAC's mission, it mandated at least 200 identifications overall a year by 2015 — a benchmark the agency has already said it will not meet. The problems, including those of DNA, go beyond J-PAC. Last month, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel ordered a review of how the military manages the effort.
Time is running out. There are 35,000 missing who experts say are findable from WWII. But the MIA's closest relatives are dying off — and often with them so are the chances for using DNA to finally identify their long-lost loved ones.
John Eakin has spent years trying to force the government to act on the case of his cousin, Pvt. Arthur "Bud" Kelder, who died as a POW in WWII and whose body was never sent home. (Photo by Jennifer Whitney for ProPublica)
Working from a home he built by hand in Helotes, just north of San Antonio, the gray-haired, lanky Eakin began his search by requesting Bud's records from the Army.
He got back a remarkable document. Despite horrid conditions, the Americans prisoners had left a road map to find Bud and others like him: the "Cabanatuan POW Camp Death Report."
The prisoners at the Cabanatuan POW camp where Bud was held by the Japanese had left a road map to find their fellow soldiers who died there. They updated a "Cabanatuan POW Death Report," logging the details of those who died every day. Despite the help it could provide, the military hasn't used the report to help retrieve the remains of service members who died at the camp. (Courtesy of John Eakin)
Barely surviving on a little more than two cups of rice every day, the POWs had still managed to document the deaths of their comrades. It was a monumental task. Of the several thousand prisoners housed at the camp, only about 500 made it out.
Each day, the survivors dug a single unmarked grave to bury that day's dead. And each day, the officers kept a meticulous ledger of the men who had died. However little that death roster meant in the prison camp, later, the POWs knew, it would be crucial to getting the fallen home.
Bud's hospital records, starting on June 2, 1942 and ending with his death. (Courtesy of John Eakin)
The entry for Nov. 19, 1942, lists 14 men. Among them: Private Arthur "Bud" H. Kelder, dead at 4:35 p.m. The 26-year-old had succumbed to pellagra, a vitamin deficiency common among the starved prisoners.
Bud's parents, unaware of his death for eight more months, kept writing him. On May 20, 1943, Bud's father wrote, "Dear son, another week has gone and still no word from you. We hope you have a few letters on the way to us."
Bud's 34-page file had sat untouched by the government for nearly 60 years, a forgotten folder in a vast repository at the National Archives. Had anyone looked it over, they would have found what Eakin did: The military actually had a pretty good sense of where Bud was.
The files included not only a date for Bud's death, but also a specific grave for him. After the war, the Army had gone to the POW camp to dig up and identify the bodies of more than 2,700 men who died there. Using the Cabanatuan camp report and recollections of the survivors, the Army numbered the communal graves and matched them with the death list.Bud and 13 others had been in Grave 717.
At the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, this headstone marks grave A-12-195 where Eakin believes Bud is buried. It is the same headstone for thousands of unknown service members. (Courtesy of John Eakin)
Limited by the science of the time, the Army was able to identify and send home four men from that grave but not Bud. In the early 1950s, the remaining 10, along with more than 900 others who died at Cabanatuan, were reburied individually as unknowns in an American cemetery in Manila. White crosses marked their graves, bearing the words "Here Rests in Honored Glory A Comrade in Arms. Known but to God."
To Eakin, it seemed obvious that Bud was among the 10 unidentified sets of remains from Grave 717 — a relatively small group of bones that the military could dig up and test against the DNA of family members. He tried to make it easier for the Pentagon by tracking down relatives of the men in the grave, so they could provide DNA for comparison. He even turned over an envelope Bud had licked.
Eakin said he thought identifying Bud would be "such a no-brainer."
Reviewing details of the case later, Joshua Hyman, the head of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's DNA Sequencing Facility, described it as a "piece of cake."
But no one in the military seemed to show much interest. Every month, Eakin called the Army, asking, "When are you going to go dig up these remains?"
Bud's fate rested with Holland and J-PAC's lab on a joint Navy-Air Force base in Honolulu.
With his beard, slightly ruffled appearance, and a penchant for storytelling, Holland has the air of a liberal arts professor. Walking through the hallway outside his lab, he pointed proudly to displays of artifacts found with recovered remains: Tattered uniforms, faded, crinkled pictures and pineapple-shaped grenades.
Holland joined J-PAC in 1992 and has spent his entire scientific career there, becoming the lab's director in 1995. "The lab has been his life," said Mark Leney, a former J-PAC anthropologist who worked with Holland for six years. "He has an enormous sense of ownership of it."
In November 2013, J-PAC's scientific director Tom Holland in his office. (Megan McCloskey/ProPublica)
Though J-PAC is a military command, the generals who rotate in and out for temporary assignments take no role in the scientific decisions, leaving them to Holland. Almost a dozen current and former staffers described Holland as someone who bridles at being challenged and fiercely protects his fiefdom.
"Expressing dissent was clearly not appreciated and frowned on," said Leney, who now teaches at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Leney said he and another anthropologist wrote Holland a memo in 2002 about problems with procedures and standards at the lab. They asked for guidance and clarification. "Here is my guidance:Don't ever write a memo like this again unless it is stapled to your resignation," Holland wrote back.
J-PAC currently has about 500 employees, including historians and military logisticians to coordinate overseas digs, but it's work in the lab that people are most likely to conjure. The lab has even been featured on the new "Hawaii Five-0." (Holland had a cameo.) Holland's longtime work at the lab recently earned him a lifetime achievement award from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
Swiping his badge and entering the bright, sterile lab, which is not much bigger than a classroom, Holland walked by 16 long metal tables with bones laid out, some with a complete skeletons, and others with pieces of bone that look like piles of jagged stones. Some bones were grayed out like seashells, and others were dark brown, almost burnt looking – the different colors betraying the countries in which they were found. Vietnam's acidic ground bites at bones, leaving them pitted. One skeleton had a green-tinted sternum and ribs, a patina from oxidation of a copper belt with bullets that was strapped to the vet's chest.
"There's no formula that applies to every case," Holland said.
Under Holland's direction, J-PAC's lab hasn't prioritized DNA analysis, despite it being an advancement that has revolutionized forensic science. J-PAC's method begins with historians sifting through archival material to start to narrow down who someone might be.
"It may be 100 people, 200 people, 500 people, that's fine," Holland said.
Time Since Eakin Gave Military Evidence on Bud
On June 11, 2011, Eakin filed a formal petition with the Army detailing all the evidence suggesting his cousin Bud could be found. The military has declined to move ahead with the case.
UPDATE: On Jan. 22, 2015, the government notified Bud's family that they had identified his remains.
What do you make of military's effort to identify the remains of its missing? Share your thoughts on
or .Then they compare bones to dental charts and other medical records. Combining that with archaeological analysis and artifacts, they try to winnow down the list to one person. DNA comes in last, only as a confirmation tool.
Scientists engaged in similar work elsewhere do the opposite. They start with DNA and let it drive the process, taking samples from bones they dig up and cross-referencing them against databases of DNA from the families of the missing to find a match.
"It's how you get people identified these days," said Clyde Snow, one of the world's foremost forensic anthropologists. "It opened up a whole new world for us."
Since the earlier 2000s, the DNA-led approach has been used in more than 30 countries to efficiently identify casualties of mass tragedies, including the United States after Sept. 11.
In post-conflict Bosnia, scientists initially used the traditional anthropological techniques that J-PAC relies on now and identified only seven out of the more than 4,000 bodies from the Srebrenica massacre, according to Ed Huffine, a forensic scientist who later designed a DNA-led process there.
Once they turned to DNA, Huffine said, they were able to make 400 identifications per month at the peak of their efforts.
J-PAC does occasionally start from DNA when bones from many people have been mixed together – as they have done with a complicated case involving 500 co-mingled remains from the Korean War.
But Holland's deputy at J-PAC, John Byrd, said the lab rarely needs to resort to that. While using DNA first makes sense in places like Bosnia, where authorities lacked medical records for the missing, the U.S. military keeps copious records. And even advocates of DNA agree that relying on records can make sense in some cases.
J-PAC has also faced cases in which DNA wasn't an option. Soldiers buried as unknowns from the Korean War were embalmed, making DNA extraction impossible. Holland's team developed a much-admired innovation to get around that limitation, matching clavicle bones to chest radiographs taken to screen for tuberculosis.
But those cases are an exception. Typically, Holland's lab has been able to extract DNA, including on all WWII cases it has worked on.
"If we worked together, concentrating on DNA, we could decrease greatly the time it takes to make identifications," said a current J-PAC anthropologist.
Holland insists his process works. Making an identification "is an awesome burden," Holland said, sitting in his paper-strewn office. Sticky notes act as a Rolodex, one wall displays dozens of photocopies of his hand with notes he wrote on his palm during meetings, and on a shelf in his bookcase are copies of two novels he penned – starring a fictionalized version of himself. "At the end of the day, I carry that burden."
"If there is a better way to do it, I'm willing to take a look at it, but at some point the government pays me to do my job," he said in a measured cadence that conveyed both annoyance and self-restraint. "And clearly I'm biased here, but I think I do a fairly good job."
Holland's job has been made harder by the overall military's failure to systematically collect and sort comparison DNA samples from family members of the missing.
Scientists in Argentina, where around 9,000 disappeared in the country's "dirty war," started assembling a database of such samples even before they had the technology to analyze them.
"We were collecting samples even though there was no possibility to process them, but the relatives were dying," said Mercedes Doretti, co-founder of the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team. Later, Argentina launched a national campaign — funded in part by the U.S. government — to collect more DNA, using famous actors and soccer teams to promote it.
This letter to Ann Lander's newspaper column is what J-PAC's leadership points to as an example of their outreach efforts to collect DNA samples from the families of MIA's. See a larger version. (Courtesy of J-PAC)
There has been no such campaign in the U.S. In an era of Facebook and Twitter, J-PAC officials heralded a 2001 Pentagon letter that ran in the widely syndicated "Ask Ann Landers" column. It didn't work. Fewer samples came in after the letter than before, an Army official said.
Huffine and other experts say using DNA effectively requires one central database and single authority overseeing it. But the Pentagon has six different agencies handling aspects of DNA testing and collection, spread out from Hawaii to Delaware. Each military branch is tasked with collecting samples from relatives of the missing from their service.
The Pentagon has relatively complete records for Vietnam and Korea but only a fraction of the needed samples from WWII. Nothing was on record for Bud or the others from Grave 717 until Eakin got involved.
The Army organizes its samples broadly by war and not by theater, major battle or event. Officials said they had no way to discern how many samples they had in hand related to the Cabanatuan unknowns, for example.
Once the military does get DNA samples, there are further delays. The Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, which processes samples for J-PAC, takes 110 days on average to sequence DNA, much longer than commercial labs.
"Just waiting for DNA and trying to find a donor for DNA" from a family member — "a lot of the pauses in progress occur there," a former J-PAC anthropologist said.
Eakin first heard of Bud as a teenager, when, looking at framed photographs on the wall, he asked about a black-and-white photo of a young man he didn't recognize.
"That's Bud," his grandfather told him in a quiet voice.
"That was the only time I saw my grandpa cry," Eakin recalled.
The correspondence Bud's parents had from the military ended in 1950 with a letter telling them that Bud was "not recoverable" and "should any additional evidence come to our attention indicating that his remains are in our possession, you will be informed immediately."
His parents died in the 1960s, without any resolution about their son.
How Eakin found Bud
Combing through historical records, Eakin learned that his cousin Bud was one of 14 'unknowns' buried in grave 717. Here is how he narrowed it further.
Out of the 14 bodies found in Grave 717, the Army immediately identifies Daniel Bain from his dog tag.
1948, Two Years Later
The Army identifies three more men, and send them home for burial.
2011, 63 Years Later
After looking at the dental records of all 10 bodies remaining, John Eakin finds that only one had gold inlays. Bud had gold inlays.
Herman Kelder was Bud's only sibling. He left his son, Doug, a file box full of documents. Doug and Ron Kelder, Bud's cousin, have looked to the dogged Eakin to solve the family mystery.
Bud's story wasn't meaningful to Eakin just because he was family. As a rowdy teenager in rural Indiana, Eakin joined the Army after a night of drinking with his buddies and did two tours in Vietnam. He wouldn't easily give up on the cousin who hadn't been as lucky as he was to make it home.
In the spring of 2010, Eakin had two breakthroughs.
He tracked down an audio tape recorded by Bud's older brother in 1994, shortly before he died.
"I got out of dental school in 1935," Herman Kelder said on the tape. As he started to build his practice, he had worked on Bud and "put some gold inlays in his mouth where he had some silver fillings."
Distinctive dental work like that could help identify Bud among the 10 unknowns from Grave 717, Eakin realized. Perhaps the military had noted in its files if any of the bodies had gold inlays.
A week after making the discovery, Eakin attended a meeting hosted by the Defense Prisoners of War and Missing in Action Office, or DPMO, another Pentagon agency whose mission overlaps with J-PAC's. The meeting's purpose was to update family members on the search for their loved ones, but officials told Eakin that even aided by his new information, Bud was unlikely ever to be identified.
Not long after that, Eakin received a package in the mail from a sympathetic source inside the Pentagon: It contained what the government calls X-files for the 10 unknowns buried in Grave 717.
When the military couldn't identify a set of remains in the years after WWII, it put all the documentation it had assembled — where the body was found, skeletal details and dental charts — into a file assigned an X-number to stand in for a name. There are about 8,500 X-files from World War II.
Eakin went through the X-files for the bodies in Grave 717. Only one — X-816 — had gold inlays.
The unknown body from Grave 717 labelled X-816 had gold inlays, as shown here in the dental chart. Out of the 14 men from that group grave, this body was the only one with such dental work. Searching for Bud's remains in 2010, his cousin John Eakin learns that Bud had gold inlays put in before the war. Eakin surmises that X-816 is Bud. (Courtesy of John Eatkin)
Eakin was ecstatic that the clues led so directly to his cousin. Unknown soldier X-816 — seemingly, Bud — was buried in grave A-12-195 in the Manila American Cemetery. Eakin went back to the Army that April, thinking, "We'll have him home in a week."
By September, the only progress the government had made was to produce a research memo on Bud's case. Heather Harris, a DPMO historian, concluded that the archival evidence — mainly the death report ledger that the POWs had kept at Cabanatuan — was unreliable and therefore insufficient to warrant disinterment. She also noted another complication: Some of the remains appeared to have been commingled when they were first disinterred in the 1940s. It was possible that identifications made then had been wrong.
On Sept. 21, a J-PAC dentist compared the dental records in the Grave 717 X-files with other dental records for the 10 men buried in that grave. He couldn't conclusively match any of them. There's no indication in the report that Herman Kelder's taped statement about Bud's gold inlays was part of the analysis.
Eakin had hit another wall.
By this time, proving X-816 was really Bud had become an obsession. Eakin was prone to such quests. When serious injuries from a helicopter crash ended his career as a pilot in the mid-'80s, Eakin combed through FAA data to understand the cause of the accident. He couldn't simply file it away as an unfortunate accident and move on.
"I had to know why it fell out the sky," he said.
Teaching himself to write computer software, he turned the agency's 4-foot stack of 9-track tapes into a searchable database, then sold the agency his improved version of its own data. Consulting on aviation accidents became Eakin's full-time job.
A local newspaper wrote stories about Private Arthur "Bud" Kelder after he was taken as a POW by the Japanese in the Philippines. This article shows his parents writing letters to him through the International Red Cross. (Courtesy of John Eakin)
"If J-PAC thinks he's going to give up, they're wrong," said Jean Eakin, his wife of 38 years.
Increasingly frustrated by the military's inaction, Eakin broadened his efforts beyond Bud. After a drawn-out battle with the Department of Defense, Eakin obtained access to all World War II and Korea X-files, more than 9,400 in all. Then he built a database with material from 3,000 files for unknowns buried along with Bud in the American cemetery in Manila, methodically entering information for weeks in the evenings.
He discovered that all the way back in the 1940s, the military had made tentative identifications for more than half of those X-files, tying each set of remains to a few service members or, in some cases, just one. Many of the cases seemed as solvable as Bud's. In one instance, Eakin concluded, a Silver Star recipient had never been identified because his name was spelled wrong.
"It's not rocket science," he told anyone who would listen.
Eakin didn't understand why the military didn't just exhume all the men who had been buried in Grave 717.
While some oppose focusing on disinterments, arguing those men have already been found, the Pentagon began encouraging J-PAC to exhume more unknowns 15 years ago based on the emerging promise of DNA. J-PAC has done just 111 disinterments since then. Half of those were exhumed in the past two years, in part a response to the mounting pressure to make more IDs.
"The laboratory is pursuing disinterments very aggressively," Holland said.
J-PAC recently set a goal to dig up 150 sets of remains per year by 2018. Even at that pace, the agency would need until about 2081 just to get the 9,400 unknown World War II and Korea service members out of the ground.
Holland approves just a handful of the disinterment requests that come across his desk. Cases go first to the head of the disinterment unit, who dismisses about 80 percent of them, Holland said. The rest go to Holland, who said he rejects another 80 percent. That means only 4 percent of cases considered for disinterment move forward.
Holland said he is "handcuffed" by a 1999 Pentagon policy that requires a "high probability of identification" before exhumation.
There is disagreement within the military about whether the policy is still in effect. Officials at DPMO, which frequently squabbles with J-PAC, say it isn't.
"It's J-PAC's choice," said Navy Capt. Doug Carpenter, chief of accounting policy for DPMO. "How they choose to hold themselves accountable for disinterment is up to J-PAC, and they do a fine job."
Regardless, Holland has the power to define the exact standard for disinterment. He has imposed strict parameters for how many people a set of remains could possibly be before moving forward to dig them up: typically, no more than five. He will not lower the threshold even in instances where comparison DNA could be used to identify disinterred remains.
Holland might still be smarting from a 2003 blunder in which J-PAC dug up remains of unidentified sailors who had been on the USS Oklahoma when it sunk in Pearl Harbor. Agency officials had failed to investigate the historical archives adequately and exhumed a container with bones from hundreds of people instead of the five they were expecting.
After this, the Pentagon decided to halt any further Oklahoma cases and required additional layers of bureaucratic approval for disinterments, but as a practical matter it is still Holland who makes the calls.
McKeague, the military commander of J-PAC, now has to endorse disinterment requests approved by Holland. Asked whether he ever questions Holland's judgment, McKeague held up his hand like a stop sign and said that lab decisions were squarely Holland's domain.
"His credentials are impeccable," McKeague said.
The request next goes to DPMO, which has its own historians check the work, then to the assistant secretary of the Army for final approval, but the Army has never turned J-PAC down.
Holland acknowledged that what he called the Pentagon's "knee-jerk" reaction to the USS Oklahoma mess left him reluctant to push for disinterments for fear of losing more autonomy. He expressed concern about having bodies that J-PAC can't identify stack up in his lab.
"I might have a certain amount of discretion in how I interpret 'high probability,' but that discretion will be taken away from me" should the ratio of exhumed graves to identifications get out of balance, he said. "I guess in that sense, I am a little risk averse."
In January 2011, Eakin's persistence finally seemed to spur some progress.
J-PAC anthropologist Paul Emanovsky examined the cases of the 14 men who had been buried in Grave 717 in Cabanatuan, including Bud's, and concluded that identifications were possible.
"I think it's worth pursuing these cases, there are some pretty strong correlations for a couple of causalities, and others are reasonable," Emanovsky wrote in a previously undisclosed email to Holland and the lab manager, John Byrd.
Regardless of the likely poor condition of the bones, "I think that all hope is not lost," Emanovsky's note said. Since the bones of the soldiers might have been commingled, he advised exhuming them all and comparing them with DNA from family members. "We could potentially identify several of these individuals," he said.
Ten months later, the head of J-PAC's office of disinterment reviewed the case and echoed Emanovsky's findings in a brief memo, noting that while the bones were "eroded," DNA "may help in identification of remains from Common Grave 717."
The memo was sent to Holland on Oct. 19, 2011. Even then, he did not act to disinter Bud and the others and carry out DNA testing.
At another family update meeting in Texas on Feb. 26, 2012, Eakin met with Johnnie Webb, J-PAC's external relations chief. Despite the reports from members of the agency's staff supporting disinterment, Webb told Eakin there was no evidence to support further investigation into Bud's case.
Eakin had had enough. "We waited and waited and finally filed a lawsuit in federal court," he said.
On Oct. 18, 2012, Eakin sued the Department of Defense, naming the secretary of defense, Webb and the head of DPMO, in United States District Court in Texas to force them to disinter Bud and the other World War II unknowns.
The lawsuit has survived several government motions to dismiss.
In a January 2013 memo prompted by the suit, Holland cited the policy that, again, he himself interprets.
"No definitive individual associations could be established based on the available documentation," he wrote. "While it is possible that one or more individuals could be realized if all unknown remains from this incident were disinterred for analysis, the existing and available data do not meet the level of scientific certainty required by current DoD disinterment guidance."
Citing the suit, J-PAC and DPMO declined to comment on any specifics of Bud's case.
After years of fruitless struggle, Eakin has become convinced that J-PAC's "job is justifying doing nothing — and they do their job well."
It's unclear whether the law will come down on Eakin's side, but there's reason to believe the judge is sympathetic to his claim.
"Notwithstanding giving his last full measure of devotion to this country," U.S. District Judge Fred Biery wrote, "Private Kelder's government declines, on technical legal reasons as opposed to spirit of the law, to give him a decent burial in a marked grave alongside others who died in service to the United States."
The Kelders want to put Bud in the family crypt in the Norwood Park neighborhood of Chicago where Bud grew up. That's where Bud's parents, who so badly wanted to bring their boy home, are interred.
"All this isn't about just digging up a bunch of old bones. This is about giving a family closure," Eakin said. "These men gave their all, and we can at least give them their names on their headstone."
Additional research by Gerald Rich. Additional design and development by Lena Groeger.
Related:Bud's Story, From the Records
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Small business owners pessimistic over weak employment, sales
| New York
Small business owners are growing more pessimistic.
A survey released Tuesday by the National Federation of Independent Business shows that owners became more pessimistic during September as employment and sales remained weak. The NFIB's index of owner optimism fell 0.1 point to 92.8.
The survey did have some bright spots. The number of owners who believe this is a good time to expand their companies rose 3 percentage points. And the number of owners who expect business conditions to improve in six months gained 4 points.
But the number of owner who plan to create jobs fell 3 points, while the number who plan to reduce their payrolls rose 2 points. More than a fifth of the survey's participants said weak sales are their biggest business problem.
The survey is in line with other small business readings that show owners are cautious. The payroll service company ADP said last week that small businesses slowed their pace of hiring during September. There have been mixed readings on how much owners are willing to borrow, but the conflicting signals do point to small companies being very careful about spending for hiring or expansion.
One reason why the NFIB survey showed that more owners expect business to improve: The presidential election will be decided and Congress is likely to have taken action on tax bills. That would remove some of the uncertainty that has contributed to owners' pessimism the past few months.
The NFIB questioned nearly 700 of its members as part of its survey.


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PUMS datafiles contain records representing 1 in 1000, 1 percent, and 5 percent samples of the housing units in the United States and the persons in them. Each PUMS file provides records for states and some of their geographic levels.
The 5% sample identifies every state and various subdivisions of states called Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs), each with at least 100,000 persons. These PUMAs were primarily based on counties, and may be whole counties, groups of counties, or places. When these entities have more than 200,000 persons, PUMAs can represent parts of counties, places, etc. None of these PUMAs on the sample crosses state lines.
The 1% sample was based primarily on metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas, and contains PUMAs which were made from whole central cities, whole Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) or Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas (PMSAs), MSAs or PMSAs outside the central city, groups of MSAs or PMSAs, and groups of areas outsides MSAs or PMSAs. When the areas have more than 200,000 persons, 1% PUMAs can represent parts of central cities, MSAs/PMSAs, and so forth. 1% PUMAs may cross state lines and in that case state codes are not shown.
Each datafile is documented in a codebook containing a data dictionary and supporting appendix information. Electronic versions for the codebooks are only available for the 1980 and 1990 datafiles.
Each file generally contains two record types, each with different variables, rather than one longer record with all the variables. The two basic record types are the housing unit record and the person record. A serial number in each record links the persons in the housing unit to the proper housing unit record.
Information from the censuses were derived either from questions asked of the entire population or from questions asked of only a sample of the population. Those questions asked about every person and housing unit are called 100-percent or short-form questions. The others are called sample or long-form questions.
Those households receiving the short-form questionnaires were asked only the 100-percent questions, and those receiving the long form were asked both the 100-percent questions and the sample questions. In 1990, some 17.7 million housing units received a long form, out of an estimated total of 106 million units (about 16.7%). Sampling rates vary depending on geographic location and population size.
PUMS datafiles contain a sample of the individual long-form census records showing most population and housing characteristics with identifying information removed.
The coding system varies for each census, so it is important to have access to the codebook for each census in order to assess the meaning of a specific field in a census record and its comparability across censuses. Very little comparability exists between geographic identifiers on each of the previous files, but housing and population characteristics are similar. Because of this similarity, microdata files from the most recent censuses are useful for analysis of trends.
The sample questionnaires were edited for completeness and consistency, and substitutions or allocations for any missing data were made. Allocation flags appear at the end of each record to indicate when an item has been allocated. A user wishing to tabulate only actually observed values can eliminate variables with allocated values.
Discussed in more detail in every decennial datafile description. Generally, the following topics are of interest:
allocation flags for housing items; bedrooms; condominium status; contract rent; cost of utilities; family income; family, subfamily, and relationship recodes; farm status and value; fire, hazard, flood insurance; fuels used; gross rent; house heating fuel; household income; household type; housing unit weight; kitchen facilities; linguistic isolation; meals included in rent; mortgage status and selected monthly owner costs; plumbing facilities; presence and age of own children; presence of subfamilies in household; property value; real estate taxes; rooms; sewage disposal; source of water; state; telephone in housing unit; tenure; units in structure; vacancy status; vehicles available; year householder moved into unit; and year structure built.
ability to speak English; age; allocation flags for population items; ancestry; children ever born; citizenship; class of worker; disability status; educational attainment; Hispanic origin; hours worked; income by type; industry; language spoken at home; marital status; means of transportation; migration PUMA; migration state; military status, periods of active duty military service, veteran period of service; mobility status; occupation; person's weight; personal care limitation; place of birth; place of work PUMA; place of work state; poverty status; race; relationship; school enrollment and type of school; time of departure for work; travel time to work; vehicle occupancy; weeks worked; work status; work limitation status; and year of entry.


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NASHRM Wins Pinnacle Award from SHRM for Exceptional HR Program
NASHRM Wins Pinnacle Award from SHRM for Exceptional HR Program
Huntsville, AL December 22, 2014 — NASHRM, the North Alabama Society for Human Resource Management won the Pinnacle Award this past November, given by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) to its state councils and chapters for highly notable contributions to the HR profession.
Created in 1991, the Pinnacle Award is the highest achievement SHRM state councils and chapters can attain, and it honors programs that exceed the standard activities of SHRM affiliates in enhancing the creation of effective HR management. NASHRM was one of 12 human resource organizations from across the country to win the award.
NASHRM was rewarded for the "Empowerment Through Employment Job Fair and Training" program. This program headed up by Mitch Williams and Renee' Scruggs, Directors of NASHRM's Workforce Readiness and Diversity/ Inclusion, provided for a two-fold experience, one for the job seeker and one for the HR representative. This one day event comprised of a half day job fair for job seekers with disabilities followed by a half day training program for the HR representatives to learn the ins and outs of the new regulations regarding disabilities. The job seekers were given an opportunity to find meaningful employment as well as resume critiquing and printing, while the HR representatives were able to recruit and hire individuals with disabilities on the spot as well as receive training from the government agencies auditing our companies.
When asked about the award 2014 NASHRM President Bobbi Wilson said, "Being recognized as one of the top chapters in the country is exciting, as well as humbling for me and fellow board members. We set out to serve our community by advancing the HR profession via the one day career fair and workshop and to be recognized at the national level for our efforts is definitely a highlight in all of our volunteer careers."
Winning programs selected from 67 applications received a $1,000 prize, sponsored by ADP Inc. The award was given at SHRM's annual Volunteer Leaders' Summit in Washington, D.C., which was attended by [NAME OF SHRM COUNCIL/CHAPTER MEMBER].
"Winners of this award are SHRM affiliates that have shown leadership in the HR profession through innovative and forward-thinking programs," said Henry G. (Hank) Jackson, president and CEO of SHRM. "Their efforts are a testament to our members, HR professionals, and their commitment to aligning people and business strategies. This year's winners offer solutions to timely and real-life challenges facing workplaces today, including the skills gap and helping military veterans return to the civilian workforce."
The 2014 SHRM Pinnacle Award winners are:
- Northern Alabama SHRM – "Empowerment through Employment Job Fair and Training"
- Arkansas SHRM State Council (ARSHRM) – "ARSHRM Collaborates with DHS Superstar Dave Basham to Present Three Wildly Successful Form 1-9/E-Verify Webinars"
- SHRM Western Connecticut – "Local HR Resource Directory"
- Sarasota-Manatee HR Association (Fla.) – "Taking Certification to Another Level"
- Human Resource Association of the Midlands (Neb.) – "Excel with a Mentor"
- Nevada State SHRM Council – "Nevada SHRM Young Professionals"
- SHRM Long Island (N.Y.) – "SHRM-LI's Virtual Resource Assistant Program"
- North Carolina SHRM State Council – "N.C. SHRM State Food Drive"
- DallasHR (Texas) – "Executive Breakfast Series"
- Northern Utah Human Resource Association – "Investing in Our Future: Committed to Next Generation"
- Shenandoah Valley SHRM (Va.) – "Virginia Legal Forum"
- Apple Valley HR Association (Wenatchee, Wash.) (AVHRA) – "AVHRA Board/Chapter Reengagement – Look at Us Now!"
Media: For more information, please visit NASHRM's website www.nashrm.org.
About the Society for Human Resource Management
Founded in 1948, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world's largest HR membership organization devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 275,000 members in over 160 countries, the Society is the leading provider of resources to serve the needs of HR professionals and advance the professional practice of human resource management. SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China, India and United Arab Emirates. Visit us at shrm.org and follow us on Twitter @SHRMPress.


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UIA promotes Europe's top romantic destinations
UIA announced today the start of a 1.5-month long promotion of its top nine European destinations during February-March 2008 period. Destinations include the following cities – Amsterdam, Rome, Berlin, Frankfurt, Vienna, Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon and Tbilisi. Tickets for two for weekend tours or week-long getaways are made available for advance purchase, each at a symbolic fare of 214 USD in February and 308 USD in March.*
Travelers can immerse themselves in rich, over one thousand year old, St. Valentine's holiday traditions, participate in numerous carnivals and festivals signifying the start of spring, visit Europe's and the Caucasus region's most romantic places, participate in unique events and indulge in exquisite culinary treats and select wines.
Holland's annual Flower Festival in Zwaagdijk-Oost from the 20th till the 24th of February is a perfect choice for a romantic getaway. This year, the festival celebrates its 75th anniversary so the visitors are in for a special treat – a real celebration of spring in the middle of winter. Amsterdam's airport is just a short trip away from the neighboring Belgium and the ancient town of Bruges (Brugge), where on 9-10th of February the Chocolate Fair will open its doors. On the eve of St. Valentine's, Bruges' renown chocolatiers have committed to making the largest chocolate heart in the world.
By visiting Italy in early February, one can participate in Europe's most famous Venice Carnival (taking place from January 25th through February 5th this year). The town of Terni in Italy and its St. Valentine's cathedral, the resting ground of the world's most favored Saint, is the place of the month-long themed annual celebrations and traditionally is a popular location to propose or celebrate wedding anniversaries.
Germany also offers a myriad of romantic opportunities. The traditional Reine Festival will take place from February 27th through March 3rd. The cities of Köln, Düsseldorf, and Mainz are in the center of the Festival activities and are all easily accessible from the Frankfurt Airport. The carnival guests will witness а mock attack of the City Hall and numerous other festivities and participate in the breathtaking parade under the rain of sweets and confetti. Frankfurt will host the world-famous Fur&Fashion Show from 6th through 9th of February which no woman will turn down. One of the year's most significant cultural events, the Berlinale Film Festival, will take place in Germany's capital on 7-17th of February.
Join the Johann Strauss Ball in Vienna, the birthplace of the world's famous waltz, for an ultimate St. Valentine's Day celebration traditionally taking place on the 14th of February.
From 15th to 17th of February Madrid becomes the fashion mecca. Salon International De Moda De Madrid taking place during those days is one of Europe's key fashion shows. One can also participate in the exciting Barcelona Carnival taking place through the 16th of February or in the Fiesta De San Medir ("Shower of Sweets") parade on the 3rd of March.
If you ever wondered what the Brazil Carnival is like, you don't need to plan a trip to Latin America. Instead, visit Lisbon Carnival from February 1st until the 4th for its exciting samba rhythms and exotic dresses. For those with a taste for music and fine art, Lisbon Spring Festival (Fiesta de Primavera) is a clear choice in early March. True wine connoisseurs would not miss the Portugal Wine Show in Braga (12-16th of March)
Last but definitely not least, is Georgia, a traditional destination for those in search of unique wine bouquets. Infamous hospitality and one of the widest choices of wines are there to enjoy throughout the year. The capital Tbilisi also has something in store for the ladies during the Emerald Exhibition from the 23rd through the 25th of February, featuring finest samples of traditional and ethnic jewelry.
This and much more has been made possible through the special UIA promotion this romantic season.
* Ticket purchase to be made through February 16 and March 9 accordingly for 1 February-29 February and 1 March-31 March travel periods for a minimum of a 3-day stay and a maximum of a 7-day stay. Per ticket promotion fares only apply for the same-time purchase of two tickets. Airport taxes and service fees are not included and are to be paid separately.